A Remembrance Day of Sunshine and Reflection

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Meals on the first Friday of the month however, The Hut access has been suspended until further notice due to construction works ---- 

Remembrance Day turned out to be warm and sunny - perfect for our outdoor commemorative service. It was also a great relief following weeks of intermittent rain.

Although the attendance was what I would call 'moderate', Friday of course is a workday, so many people who may have attended on a weekend weren't available at 10:30 am when our commemorative service commenced. A few people turned up shortly before 11 am.

Priest and currently serving Army chaplain, Mark Sexton again did an excellent job throwing in a couple of anecdotes based on military service. Our President, Trevor Klose was the Master of Ceremonies and similarly did a respectable job taking attendees through the order of service.

Several wreaths were laid and all of us who attended had time to reflect on those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice and thousands of others whose service we honour, including those now in the Australian Defence Force.

Preparing for ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day begins a few months ahead of the scheduled events and requires quite a lot of work from committee members. 

Close to the events, we're fortunate and most appreciative to have the help of Faith Lutheran College students to install our crosses. Each cross bears the name of one of our fellow Australians who died in service to our country and is placed in alphabetical order according to the theatre of war in which they served.

The photo above shows several students and their teacher supervised by our member Neville Jaeschke who volunteers to do this job twice per year. The teacher told us these year-eleven students are going to be college leaders in their final year at the college.

The finished job looks very impressive as you can see in this photograph.

In previous years we have invited people to have lunch at our Hut following the service but unfortunately, due to the construction work currently being undertaken in the Tanunda Recreation Park, it wasn't possible to do so this year.

By ANZAC Day 2023 we expect the construction work to have been completed and we'll be back to normal.

A Successful Remembrance Day Appeal

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Meals on first Friday of month ---- Once again the generosity of our fellow Barossans and some visitors came to light during our Remembrance Day Appeal we held outside Foodland Tanunda.

Two lovely ladies agreed to pose

For those of us who volunteered at the memorabilia tables, it was a wintery experience as the front of Foodland is like a wind tunnel. But being the devoted and hardy souls we are, we beavered on and made a healthy amount for our sub-branch on behalf of those who serve and have served in the Australian Defence Force, their families, and our community.

We handed out 500 or more free poppies to young and old to wear on Friday, 11 November 22 or as often as they wish. I believe more will be available at the Tanunda Memorial Gardens where we hope we'll see you at 10:15 am for a 10:30 am commencement.

We were delighted to hear some parents telling their youngsters about the RSL and military and why we hold Remembrance Day.

As always, we are most grateful for the ongoing support we receive from our community.

As an afterthought, if you didn't get that badge, cap, mug or something from our memorabilia collection you really wanted, if you click on Military Shop link in the right hand column, you can visit their site to check out the vast array of militaria available.

Remembrance Day Memorabilia Special - Order Now

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Meals on first Friday of month ---- 

The Military Shop has a range of new and exciting memorabilia of all sorts, badges, key chains, pens, bucket hats, umbrellas ... you name it, they have it.

You can get yours mailed to you today by clicking here or you can visit one of our kiosks outside Foodland Tanunda on Wednesday, 2 Nov 22 (the day after the Melbourne Cup) and Thursday, 3 November 33.

We'll have a wide variety of memorabilia available at our kiosk, but you'll find much more at the Military Shop.

The writer has just ordered three of the "Family of Veteran" badges for his son, daughter, and grandson to wear on 11 November every year.

Yes, they last forever. Buy once, you never have to buy again but there are always new and attractive additions to the Military Shop's collection.

For example, look at the product below. It's an example of a new range of poppy badges that has the campaign medal colours for all wars in which our heroes have fought. This one is the Vietnam War poppy.

Anything you buy from the Military Shop benefits our sub-branch as we earn a commission.

ANZAC Day Memorial Services

Mr Tony Pasin presents bottle of rum

This year once again we are holding our memorial services and march for ANZAC Day, next Monday.

Our committee members have been beavering away preparing all the minutia involved in organising such an important event in the RSL calendar and community. 

We are supported by various other community organisations and individuals including the Barossa Council and Federal Member for Barker, Mr Tony Pasin who every year gives us a large bottle of Beenleigh rum to share during our Gunfire Breakfast at the Hut. You can see him here handing this year's bottle to Treasurer Christina and Robin Henry.

It's a public holiday Monday and that may mean more or fewer people attend our two memorials on ANZAC Day. The first, held at the Tanunda Memorial Garden in Murray Street begins at 6:15 am.

At 10:15 am those marching assemble outside the Tanunda Post Office in Murray Street and march to the Soldiers' Memorial Hall (Barossa Gallery) in Basedow Road where a second service is held at 11:00 am.

Members and invited guests then meet at the Hut for lunch.

The next memorial event this year of course will be Remembrance Day on 11 November.

We hope to see you at one of our services on Monday.

Remember to Remember

One of the two most important days on the RSL Calendar, Remembrance Day will be commemorated at the Tanunda Memorial Park, Murray Street, Tanunda on Thursday, 11 November 2021.

Attendees are invited to be in-situ by 10:30 am sharp when the service will commence and RSL members are invited for a light lunch at The Hut following the service. 

Please do join us at the Tanunda Memorial Park.

Remembrance Day Appeal

Our volunteers will be outside Foodland Tanunda selling a wide range of memorabilia on Wednesday, 3 and Thursday, 4 November between 9 am and 5 pm.

This is part of our annual activity to raise funds for our veterans' support programs and the ongoing costs of running our sub-branch. Apart from special grants we receive for specific tied activities (see here), our club runs largely on donations from our generous sponsors and the Barossa public.

Numerous people simply drop off a donation and we have at least one collector who spends a large sum on new badges every year. Others buy one or two of our products sourced mainly from the Military Shop with whom we have an affiliation.

If you click on the Military Shop link here in the right column under Links, you'll not only find a rich harvest of militaria you can buy eg, jackets, medals, badges, caps, water bottles and much more, but you'll also ensure our club gets a small commission.

Do visit us on either of the two days and get yourself some of the newer memorabilia. We look forward to seeing you. 

PS: The umbrellas were popular last year as were the purple badges acknowledging the service that animals have provided during all wars.